My creamy chicken and potato soup is the ultimate one-pot comfort meal, ready for dinner in under an hour! Russet potatoes create a thick consistency, while crisp bacon creates a deep, smoky flavor profile. Made with leftover shredded or rotisserie chicken, this foolproof chicken soup recipe is easy to throw together, and tastes just like a loaded baked potato!
Creamy Potato Bacon Soup with Shredded Chicken
My cozy chicken and potato soup starts with the ultimate flavor bomb: bacon! By crisping it first right in my soup pot, I’m able to use the leftover rendered fat to sauté my veggies for a smoky flavor that carries through the entire soup. As it simmers, the bacon flavor intensifies, and the starchy Russet potatoes begin to soften, naturally thickening this chicken soup into a stew-like consistency.
To keep my potato soup extra easy, I use leftover, pre-cooked, or rotisserie chicken. Stirring it in at the very end keeps the meat tender and prevents overcooking. For a from-scratch option, you can poach raw chicken breasts directly in the soup instead. This one-pot recipe only requires 30 minutes of active cook time, and delivers all the flavor of a loaded baked potato in the form of a belly-warming soup!
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Brown Your Veggies for Extra Depth
If you have a little extra time, don’t rush the veggies! Instead of just softening the onions and carrots, let them cook until the edges are golden-brown. This adds extra depth of flavor and brings out the natural sweetness of the veggies to balance the smoky bacon and savory chicken.
Creamy Chicken Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon (chopped into small strips )
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 3 carrots (chopped)
- 3 ribs celery (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning (*)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 large Russet potatoes (peeled and cubed**)
- 4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (***)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (room temperature)
Optional Toppings:
- chopped fresh parsley (or chives)
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Fry until crispy, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, but leave the grease in the pot.6 slices bacon
- To the same pot with the bacon grease, add in the onion, carrots, celery, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour to coat.1 small onion, 3 carrots, 3 ribs celery, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the potatoes and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.2 large Russet potatoes, 4-5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Stir in the shredded chicken, bacon, and heavy cream. Taste and add in more salt and pepper if needed.3 cups shredded cooked chicken, ¾ cup heavy cream
- Ladle into bowls, and top with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley or extra bacon pieces to serve.chopped fresh parsley
Notes
- If your bacon rendered a lot of grease (more than about 2 tbsp), you can drain out the excess to prevent an oily soup.
- Once you add the flour, let it cook and dry out for a minute or two before adding the broth. This helps remove the raw flour taste.
- When you add the broth, use a wooden spoon to vigorously scrape the bottom of the pot. This releases all those yummy browned bits into the soup.
- Start checking the potatoes around the 10 minute mark, especially if you cut them into smaller chunks. Once easily pierced with a fork, they are ready.
- This soup should have a slightly thick consistency, somewhere between a soup and a stew. For a thinner consistency, add more broth. For a thicker consistency, mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher.
- Ladle a small amount of the hot soup broth into the cream, stir it, and then pour the mixture into the pot to temper it and prevent curdling.
- Optionally reserve some of the cooked bacon pieces for topping individual bowls of soup to keep them a bit crispier.
- Right before serving, stir in 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice or a splash of dry white wine to brighten it up.
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
- Crockpot: Crisp the bacon and sauté the vegetables (onions, carrots, celery) in a pan first to develop flavor, then add them to your slow cooker with the potatoes, seasonings, and 4 cups of broth. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours), stirring in the cooked chicken and heavy cream during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
- Instant Pot: Use the “SAUTÉ” function to crisp the bacon and soften the vegetables. Stir in the flour and potatoes, then add the broth and pressure cook on “HIGH” for 10 minutes with a quick release. Once finished, stir in the cooked chicken and cream, using the residual heat to warm them through.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
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Adding the finishing touches!
I love being able to just stir in leftover chicken at the end. And I always add more bacon and some fresh parsley to my bowl. Yum!
The Best Potatoes for a Hearty Soup
For this recipe, I chose to use Russet potatoes because their high starch content acts as a natural thickener. As they simmer, the edges soften and release starch into the broth, creating a rich, velvety base that binds the chicken and cream together perfectly.
If you prefer a middle ground, Yukon Golds are an excellent alternative. They offer a buttery flavor and a creamy texture while holding their shape slightly better than Russets. On the other end of the spectrum, waxy varieties like Red Bliss contain very little starch. That means they will stay firm and distinct in the bowl, which is ideal if you prefer a clear, chunky broth rather than a thick, hearty soup.
How to Make Chicken and Potato Soup Step by Step
Prep: Gather the list of ingredients for this easy chicken soup recipe. Let the heavy cream come to room temperature while you prep and cook the soup so it mixes in more easily. Chop the bacon into small strips; chop the onion, carrots, and celery; mince the garlic; peel and cube the potatoes; and shred the chicken with two forks (if not already shredded). Line a plate with a paper towel and set aside.
Fry the Bacon: Add 6 slices of bacon, cut into small strips, to a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Fry until crispy, about 10 minutes. There’s no need to add any oil or fat here–it will render out of the bacon as it cooks. Once cooked, drain the bacon on the paper towel-lined plate, but leave the grease in the pot. If there is a lot of grease (more than 2 tablespoons), you can drain off the excess to avoid a greasy soup.
Sauté the Veggies: To the same pot with the rendered bacon grease, add in 1 small chopped onion, 3 chopped carrots, 3 chopped ribs of celery, ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, and ½ teaspoon of poultry seasoning. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in 2 minced cloves of garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Then stir in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to coat. This will help thicken the soup. I like to let it cook for a minute or so to remove the raw flour taste.
Cook the Potatoes: Add 2 large peeled and cubed Russet potatoes and 4-5 cups of chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot with your wooden spoon to bring up any stuck-on browned bits–they add tons of flavor! Bring the pot to a boil, then immediately reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when you can easily pierce them all the way through with a fork.
Add the Chicken, Bacon, and Cream: Stir in 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken, the cooked and drained bacon pieces (you can reserve a few for topping individual bowls, if you like), and ¾ cup of room-temperature heavy cream. You can temper the cream by stirring a bit of the hot broth into it, then stirring it into the pot of soup–this helps protect it from curdling due to rapid temperature change. Taste and add in more salt and pepper if needed. The soup should be slightly thick, but not quite stew consistency. If desired, add more broth to thin out the consistency; or mash some of the potatoes to thicken it up.
Garnish and Serve: Ladle your chicken potato soup into 4 bowls, and top each one with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley and/or extra bacon pieces to serve. A teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar really brightens things up!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Let leftover chicken and potato soup cool to room temperature, then store it in an airtight container. If freezing, be sure to portion it out to make reheating easier.
- Fridge: Keep soup in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Note that potatoes don’t always thaw or reheat well after freezing.
- Reheat: Reheat soup in a pot set over medium-low heat until warmed through. Individual portions can be reheated in a microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between, until hot. If the soup thickens too much in the fridge, simply add a splash of broth or water when reheating to bring it back to your desired consistency.
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